The Richest Families From Canada
Canada has a reputation for many things. They're known as one of the most polite countries, they love their Maple Leafs hockey team and many other distinguishing traits. One aspect that many might not be aware of is that many of the worlds wealthiest live there. You might be at a hockey game, and someone worth a few billion might pop up next to you. That's because there are a ton of wealthy families in the wonderful country of Canada. They help keep Canada so profitable through their businesses. Here are the wealthiest families in Canada.
The Anderson Family - $12 Million
For those who aren't too familiar with the Anderson family, here's the scoop. Pamela Anderson was born in British Columbia and is an actress, former model (think of the scantily clad type), and activist. Her role on the TV show Baywatch helped her become one of Canada's most explosive actresses.
Anderson also holds the record for appearing on the most Playboy covers in history. She started as a beer spokeswoman but quickly evolved into an entertainment master. The star is also heavily involved with PETA, so don't harm any animals around her.
The Cameron Family - $700 Million
Whenever you direct the second highest-grossing film of all-time (Avatar), you have to be on a list like this. James Cameron of the Cameron family is the fifth-highest-grossing director by worldwide box office. He started out screenwriting, but after directing The Terminator, he quickly rose to fame.
His most significant victory, of course, is Avatar, which pioneered 3D technology for movies. It would have probably remained the top grosser of all-time if superhero movies didn't become highly popular (Avengers: Endgame dethroned it).
The Kruger Family - $1.91 Billion
Founded in 1904 by Joseph Kruger, Kruger, Inc. is one of the most profitable companies around. With headquarters in Montreal, Joseph Kruger II has a ton of responsibilities on his hands to keep the family business going strong.
Kruger, Inc. makes paper products, but they have a massive reach over different industries. As of late, they've shifted their focus towards becoming more environmentally-friendly. That should help make them even more lucrative in the long run.
The Paquin Family - $14 Million
Anna Paquin was born in Manitoba, before getting brought up in Wellington, New Zealand. The star actress also has citizenship in New Zealand. Her family might not have the same massive net worth had Paquin never dropped out of college to pursue acting.
When she was 11, she did have a role in the film The Piano. Paquin ended up winning an Oscar for her supporting role, becoming the second-youngest person win such an achievement.
The Virtue Family - $2 Million
Any ice dancing lovers out there? The Virtue family headed by Tessa Virtue manage to have a highly respectable net worth, thanks to Tessa's moves on the ice. She's been a world champion skater three times and an Olympic champ twice in her glorious career.
She skates with her longtime partner Scott Moir and the two always put on an impeccable show filled with undeniable chemistry. They're arguably the most successful duo in the history of the sport.
The Skoll Family - $4 Billion
If it weren't for the internet, some people wouldn't be as wealthy as they are, but that's okay. The Skoll family would be one of them, as they found their riches thanks to eBay and Jeffrey Skoll. Skoll was the first employee, who turned into the first president of eBay.
With that newfound money, he pivoted into philanthropy. He also used his wealth to start a film production company called Participant Media. The company has some Oscar-winning films at their disposal, which include Contagion and Spotlight.
The Dobrev Family - $10 Million
The Dobrev family gave birth to a great actress named Nina Dobrev. Her real name is Nikolina Konstantinova Dobreva, and she was born in Bulgaria. Due to her parents relocating to Canada when she was young, she has citizenship there as well.
Vampire Diaries might be her most well-known role, but she has credits in plenty of other big-time movies. You might've seen her in The Perks of Being a Wallflower and XXX: Return of Xander Cage.
The Graham Family - $150 Million
Hate him or love him, Aubrey "Drake" Graham single-handily earned his way onto this list. Born in Toronto, Canada to parents Dennis and Sandi Graham, Drake's path to the top was a bit unconventional.
Drake always had a passion for rapping, but many know him initially from the teenage drama Degrassi. He then quit acting to pursue a full-time hip-hop career, something his mother advised against. Fast forward a decade, and Drake is one of the largest music acts the world has ever seen. Much of his net worth comes from his record label OVO Sound and all the tours he goes on.
The Carrey Family - Net Worth $150 Million
Born in Newmarket, Canada, Jim Carrey has done well for himself. The actor/comedian has won two Golden Globe Awards and has been nominated for many awards, including a Grammy award and a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role.
Carrey's career took off in 1990 when he appeared on In Living Color. In the mid-nineties, he released three highly-grossing films: Ace Ventura, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber. His films are high in the ranks for top-grossing movies, earning Carrey an estimated $150 million net worth.
The Smulders Family - $18 Million
Entertainment looks like it's one of the few avenues that made plenty of families on this list wealthy. That includes the Smulders family and their prominent member, Cobie Smulders. You probably recognize the actress from several Marvel films.
Born in Vancouver, she has a ton of film and TV credits to her name. She's been in How I Met Your Mother, Captain America, and Spider-Man just to name a few. At first, Smulders' passion was modeling, but she chose acting instead.
The Twain Family - $400 Million
Up next, The Twain family starring Shania Twain. Twain is a singer from Ontario who plays the guitar as well. The songwriter entered the music industry in 1983 after signing with Mercury Nashville. After releasing her debut album and not receiving much success, she married producer Mutt Lange.
Together, the two made a huge leap in her sophomore effort on the way to selling more than twenty million copies around the world. Then, her third album became the best-selling album of all time by a woman across all genres.
The Richardson Family - $6.55 Billion
Whenever you're involved with oil and gas, the money will follow. All you have to do is ask the Richardson Family's Harley Richardson. The family business goes by James Richardson & Sons, and Richardson International owns it.
Founded over a century ago, The Richardsons have privately held it for seven generations. The company pretty much dominates the oats, grains, canola, and oilseeds production in Canada, which how they got their revenue up to $29 billion.
The Irving Family - $7.38 Billion
In 1924 K.C. Irving founded the large oil ad gas company Irving Oil. They are a production and exportation company apart of the parent company Irving Group. Now, K.C.'s son Arthur Irving owns it, and he's helping generate a boatload of revenue.
This corporation is enormous. They have Irish connections, and they happen to be the only refinery in Ireland. Irving Group also has real estate, gas stations, oil tanker fleets, and similar assets across the globe.
The Desmarais Family - $8.38 Billion
The Desmarais family, led by Paul Desmarais, has had a long history of victories and philanthropy. Paul Desmarais might be deceased, but it was his hard work that led to this company becoming so profitable. After graduating from the University of Ottawa, he started working at the railroad company founded by his grandfather.
That business went bankrupt, but Desmarais worked hard to resurrect it. In three years, he saved it and acquired several bus lines in Canada. After that, he became a machine and purchased the paper company Consolidated Bathurst followed by Power Corp. of Canada.
The Henderson Family - $4 Million
It's no secret that Brooke Henderson is one of the best current golfers in the world. The Henderson family has plenty of wealth thanks to this star athlete. The amazing part is that she's still nine years removed from turning 30.
If our calculations are correct, that means she hasn't reached her prime yet. It also means that she has a ton more money to bring home so the net worth should only rise as the time passes.
The McCain Family - $3.79 Billion
McCain foods ran by founded by Wallace McCain holds the distinct privilege of being the world's largest manufacturer of frozen potato products. This company became established in 1957 in New Brunswick, Canada.
Son of the founder, Michael McCain is the current president of Maple Leaf Foods. It's safe to say there is no shortage of money going around in this family, which is why their net worth is so high. Food can generate a bunch of wealth too!
The Aykroyd Family - $135 Million
Up next is the Aykroyd family. Have you ever heard of Dan Aykroyd? You know, the guy who played in Ghostbusters and also developed it? Yeah, he used his skills to his advantage on his way to bringing his family over $100 million.
Born in Ontario, Aykroyd married Donna Dixon, an actress, and model, whom he met on a movie set in the '80s. He's also done some work on Saturday Night Live and appeared in The Blues Brothers skit.
The Muzzo Family - $1.86 Billion
Since the patriarch Marco Senior passed away, the Muzzo estate controls the money and fortune. Meanwhile, Marc Muzzo is the prominent force of the family today. The Muzzo family is extremely private as they own and operate in real estate across Canada.
Marc's grandfather Marco Muzzo Sr. founded the Muzzo group. They developed farmland, then turned it into subdivisions. It took a few transformations before becoming the construction dynamo they are today. The privately-held business ensures that the wealth stays with the family.
The Bieber Family - $268 Million
Pop star Justin Bieber married model Hailey Baldwin in 2018, which only boosted the net worth of the Bieber family. Since releasing his first single "One Time" in 2009, Bieber transformed from a kids star to this coming of age R&B artist.
"Bieber's tech-savvy infuses more than his music--it's also a core strategy for how the entertainer intends to translate all that fame and fast money into enduring riches," Zach O'Malley wrote for Forbes. That sentence encompasses precisely how the star gained his wealth. He used his music to connect to a larger audience, which then allowed him to show his other talents.
The Gaglardi Family - $3.92 Billion
Whoever said getting into real estate was a bad idea was wrong. See the Gaglardi family for an example. Led by Tom Gaglardi, the family has a reputation for there real estate acumen. Their business name is Northland Properties and has its base in Vancouver.
They do business in the hotel and dining industries too. Founded in 1963, they built their first inn in 1967. The company ended up expanded on that early growth, turning into the Sandman Signature brand, very high-end.